Safety-faucet.



B.. P. WILTON.

um! nucn'r LPPLIOLTIDI PILBD JAI. 16, 1909.

Patented July 6,1909.

YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH I). WILTON, OF WRIGl-ITSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-FAUCET.

To all whom it may concern:

13e it known that I, RALPH I). IVILTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at trightsvillm in tlie county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safetylfaucets, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to safety faucets, and has for its object to provide a faucet in which the turning plug may be latched against accidental displacement when in closed position, and, furthermore, may be locked in closed position against an unauthorized manipulation. And, further more, the locking devices which I have invented are such as to not only lock the turning plug against manipulation by unauthorized persons, but also prevent the removal or unseating of theturning plug in the faucet body or valve seat so as to lift the plug either completely or to such an eX- tent as to permit leakage.

In order that the invention may be understood by those skilled in the art, I have shown .in the accon'ipanying drawings a faucet embodying my invention, and in said drawings Figure l is a side view of the :faucet in closed position. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the faucet in open position, showing the arrangement of thc latch and its operating instrumentalities. Fig. 3 is a view in cross section of the faucet in closed position.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, .2 designates the faucet body which may be of any suitable construction or design, and in the instance shown is of the ordinary turning plug type.`

The faucet is provided with the usual tapering valve seat or turning plug opening in which is mounted a turning plug 3 which, but for the added improvements which constitute my invention, is similar to the usual turning plug being provided with the tln'ough passage and the integral handle as customary. The handle 4 and the neck of the plug 8 are kerfcd or slotted as shown at 5 so as to form recesses for the plug latch, which in the form herein shown embodies a vertically movable plate mounted in the gaging a slot- 8 in the latch plate G. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 16, 1909.

Patented July 6, 1909..

Serial. N0. 472,699.

sides of the latch plate G extend beyond the wall of the plug 3 so as to rest upon the rim 9 of the faucet body 2, which rim 9 provided with latch engaging recesses l0 transversely of the faucet body, into which recesses l0 the wings of the latch plate will drop when the turning plug 3 is rotated by the handle it to close the faucet, thereby latching the turningl plug 3 in closed position, and hold it against accidental displacement.

In order to manipulate the latch plate G I provide a handle l1 which, as shown in the present instance, engages the upper end of the latch plate 6, and is held in place in the handle 5 in any suitable manner as by means of a pin l2 (see Fig. 2). The rear end of the handle ll is provided with a spring 13 tending normal-ly to lift thehandle and force the latch plate (i downwardly so that it will automatically drop into the notches or recesses l0 in the rim 9 oit the faucet body when the handle t is turned to close the turning` plug, and when it is desired to open the faucet the operator by pressing down on the handle Il can throw the latch plate (3 out of the recesses l0 whereupon the turning plug maybe readily opened. By this construction a. very ellicient protection against accidental knocking open of the faucet is provided, but it frequently happens that it is desired to lock the faucet in closed position to prevent the unauthorized drawingofl'l of the contents of the barrel, and in order that the safety faucet which I have invented may meet this requirement I have provided means for locking the faucet in closed position. In this embodiment of my invention I acc nnplish this locking by providing an aperture 14 in the latch plate G, which registers with apertures in the handle or neck portion of the turning plug when the latch plate is in latching position, that is .in engagement with therecesses l0 in the faucet body, and it will be obvious that by inserting the hasp of a lock 15 in these apertures the latch plate G will be effectually locked to the plug 3` and in engagement with the recesses 10 from which recesses it would not be withdrawn until the lock 15 is removed so that the latch plate can be released and the faucet opened only by an authorized person having the key to the lock. As these turning plugs 3 are generally held in place by means of a headed screw engaging the lower end of the plug it will be obvious that the purpose of the lockin instrumentalities just described would be l(defeated by simply loosening the screw which holds the plug 3 to its seat and lifting the plug, lock, and connected parts, from the valve, and in fact if the screw at the bottom of the turning plug were loosened sufficiently to permit leakage around the plug the contents of the barrel could still be withdrawn. In order to meet this possible condition I secure the lock 15 to the plug screw 16 by means of a chain 17, or other suitable connection, which connection is of sufficient length to permit the lock 15 to be manipulated, but which is not long enough to allow the screw 16 to be loosened and taken out or even loosened sufiiciently to bring about a leakage around the plug 4. The chain 17 preferably engages an eye 18, formed in the end of the plug screw 16, which plug screw is provided with a kerf for a screw driver in the usual way. It will be seen that the arrangement of chain relative to the plug screw is such that immediately the screw is turned by means of a screw-driver when t-he faucet is in locked condition the chain 17 will bind and at once check the rotation of the plug screw, the angular movement of this plug screw being so small that no effective loosening of the turning plug 3 could be brought about. This is more surely accomplished by reason of the presence of the spring washer 19 which will, of course, compensate for any slight loosening of the plug screw 16 and keep theturning plug 3 to its seat. It will be seen, therefore, that the combination of latch mechanism and lock is such that a very effective latch and lock mechanism is provided, and one which does not complicate or cumber up the faucet proper.

W'hen not in use the lock 15 is preferably supported by engaging its hasp with an eye 19 preferably formed integral with the faucet body 2 at one side thereof, in order that the lock 15 will not dangle the full length of its chain when not in use.

Vhile I -have shown a particular construction, it is obvious that it may be varied both in design and by the use of equivalent mechanical eXpedients, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to the details shown and described, except as far as I am limited by the prior art to which the invention belongs.

Having fully disclosed my invention, I claim:

1. In a faucet, in combination, a turning plug, a latch carried by and rotatable with said plug to hold said plug in closed position, latch operating means carried by said plug, and means for locking said latch against movement when in latching position.

2. In a faucet, in combination, a turning plug, a vertically movable latch plate mounted in a recess in said turning plug', means for raising and lowering said latch plate, and means for locking said latch plate in latching position.

3. In a faucet, in combination, a turning plug, a latch plate adapted to latch said turning plug in closed position, means for operating said latch and means for locking said plug and latch plate against relative movement when said latch plate is in latching position.

1l. In a faucet, in combination, a turning plug, a latch plate carried thereby and adapted to engage recesses in the faucet body to hold the turning plug latched when in closed position, means for operating said latch plate, and means for locking said latch plate in latching position.

5. In a faucet, in combination, a body portion having latch receiving recesses in the rim of the plug seat, a turning plug, a latch plate carried by said plug and bearing against the plug seat rim so as to engage the latching recesses when the plug is in closed position, a spring handle mounted on the turning plug handle to raise said latch plate, and means for locking said latch plate and turning plug together when the latch plate is in latching position.

6. In a faucet, in combination a body portion having a notched rim for the plug seat, a turning plug mounted in said body portion and having a recess at its upper end, a vertically movable latch plate mounted in said recess, and provided with a perforation registering with perforations in the plug, a spring latch operating handle carried by said turning plug handle, and means engaging' vthe latch and turning plug perforations to lock the latch plate in its lower latching position.

7. In a faucet, in combination, a body portion, a turning plug mounted therein, a latch plate to secure said plug against rotary movement when in latched position, means for locking said latch plate against movement when in latching position, and connecting links between said lock and the lower end of said turning plug to lock said plug against vertical movement.

8. In a faucet, in` combination, a body portion, a turning plug mounted therein and secured by a screw at its lower end, and means for locking said turning plug against rotary and vertical movement, comprising a latch plate, a lock to engage said latch plate and hold it in latching position, and a ieXible connection between said lock and said screw.

9. In a faucet, in combination abody portion, a turning plug mounted therein and having a screw plug at its bottom, a latch plate in the upper end of said turning pluO, said latch plate and turning plug being provided with registering perforations, when the latch plate is in latchng position, means my hand in presence of two Subscribing Wb 'ol' Ialslng and lowermg sald latch plate, a nesSeS.

Ax Ono- El" 1 of A (y f lock to euae sald leblstellmD pellolatlons RALPH P. VVILTON and lock the plug agamst rotatlon, and a 5 'lexlble colmectlon between Sad lock and lVll'neSSes:

Screw plug. 7n/VON COOK,

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set Humu. E. NAUSS. 

